Antonio Conte says Chelsea “must” bounce back from last season’s problems and “fight for the title” again in the upcoming campaign.

Conte is preparing for his first season in the Premier League and knows he has the task of reviving the Blues after the disappointment of last term when they finished down in 10th place.

Conte has brought in Michy Batshuayi and N’Golo Kante for big money so far this summer and there are likely to be more arrivals before the transfer window closes with the likes of Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata, Everton forward Romelu Lukaku and PSG ace Edinson Cavani all linked with moves.

The Italian coach says it’s vital the Blues are competing for the title again this season and he’s made it clear to his players he expects plenty of hard work from them in order to achieve success.

“I want our fans to be very proud about the players and the manager,” he told reporters. “It’s very important. Usually when there are these bad seasons it means there are many problems but the past is not important for me, for the club, for the players.

“What is important is the present, we have to fight together to come back and fight for the title. It’s important to stay together and overcome this bad period for Chelsea, to come back to play the Champions League, because it’s Chelsea’s home.”

“We must work a lot,” he added. “We must come back to fight for the title.”